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{{short description|Indian writer and linguist}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox writer 
| name = Gopala Chandra Praharaj
| native_name = '''ଗୋପାଳ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ପ୍ରହରାଜ'''
| native_name_lang = or
| image = Gopala Chandra Praharaja.png
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1874|09|09}}
| birth_place = Siddheswarpur, India
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1945|05|16|1874|09|09}}
| occupation = Lawyer, linguist, writer
| nationality = Indian
| period = Twentieth Century
}}

'''Gopala Chandra Praharaj''' (9 September 1874 – 16 May 1945) was a writer and [[linguist]] in the [[Odia language]], well known as the compiler of the ''[[Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha]]''. He also contributed significantly to [[Odia literature]] by his works in prose. A lawyer by profession, Praharaj wrote several [[Satire|satirical]] and analytical essays, in magazines such as ''Utkal Sahitya'', ''Rasachakra'', ''Nababharata'', and ''Satya Samachar'', on the social, political and cultural issues of contemporary Odisha (Odisha) during early 20th century.

==Early life==
Praharaj was born on 9 September 1874 to an aristocratic Zamindar Brahmin family of Siddheswarpur in [[Cuttack district]]. He completed his matriculation from Ravenshaw Collegiate School<ref name="Hindu092006" /> and studied FA from [[Ravenshaw college]] of Cuttack. He studied law at [[Calcutta University]] and became a lawyer in 1902.

==Life as a writer==
He started writing essays in the Magazine Utkal Sahitya in 1901 by the caption "Bhagabata Tungire Sandhya", which is the first published work by the author. It was followed by Bai Mohanty Panji and many other writings on socio-cultural and political issues. He followed the footsteps of [[Fakir Mohan Senapati]] and made a remarkable development in Odia satirical literature. Praharaj used the colloquial speech of Odisha along with Hindustani, Parsi, English, Sanskrit and folk language in his prose works.<ref name="Hindu092006" /> He wrote several critical essays with different pen names in many magazines up to his old age. However, he dedicated around three decades of his life to the compilation of ''Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Current Trends in Linguistics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JqYMTdBws40C&q=%22Gopala+Chandra+Praharaj%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA138 |page=138 |year=1972 |access-date=14 July 2012 |last1=Sebeok |first1=Thomas Albert}}</ref><ref>Indian Literature edited by Dr. Nagendra, Prabhat Prakashan</ref>

==Works==

===Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha===
Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha is the most comprehensive lexicon in [[Odia language]]. It presents the meaning of words in four languages—Odia, English, Hindi and Bengali,<ref name="srujanikaDict">{{cite web|url=http://www.srujanika.org/dictionary.php?dictid=1 |title=Purnachandra Oriya Bhashakosha |publisher=Srujanika.org |access-date=19 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128120240/http://www.srujanika.org/dictionary.php?dictid=1 |archive-date=28 January 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and explains the origin, development and use of the words.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major Historical Events from Kalingan War Till Orissa Became a Separate Province |url=http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/2010/April/engpdf/10-13.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928074250/http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/2010/April/engpdf/10-13.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2013 |publisher=orissa.gov.in |page=11 |access-date=14 July 2012 }}</ref> It consists of around 9,500 pages and 185 thousand words in 7 volumes.<ref name="srujanikaDict" /> Praharaj not only did the work of compiling the lexicon, but also raised funds for its publication and supervised its printing and sale. Praharaj included in this lexicon not only the words which were used in literature, but also the words of common speech. The publication of the lexicon was patronised by the kings/princes of several princely states of present Orissa (Odisha). It is still recognised as the biggest dictionary in Oriya (Odia) language, although few copies of the original printed version survive.<ref name="Hindu092006">{{cite news |title=Reproducing a magnum opus |url=http://www.hindu.com/lr/2006/09/03/stories/2006090300290400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109152214/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2006/09/03/stories/2006090300290400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 November 2007 |date=3 September 2006 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=14 July 2012}}</ref> An electronic version has been published by [[Srujanika]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Purnachandra Oriya Bhashakosha by Gopal Chandra Praharaj (Preface + All 7 Volumes) (1931) |url=https://archive.org/details/Purnachandra.Odia.Bhashakosha.Complete |work=Srujanika.org |access-date=19 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Oriya dictionary goes digital |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-09/bhubaneswar/28187617_1_indian-languages-oriya-language-rare-works |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928194259/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-09/bhubaneswar/28187617_1_indian-languages-oriya-language-rare-works |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2013 |date=9 August 2009 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=19 July 2012}}</ref>

Praharaj while compiling the Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha, also introduced a new letter- '''ୱ''' to the [[Odia script]] inventory to represent the phonetic sound of (''Wa'') in order to distinguish it from '''ବ''' (''Ba''), with which it shared the same consonant ligature form/conjunct form(୍ୱ).<ref name="archive">{{cite web |title=Purnachandra Odia Bhasakosha |url=https://archive.org/stream/Purnachandra.Odia.Bhashakosha.Complete/Purnachandra.Odia.Bhashakosha-Volume.6-Consonants-Ja.to.Sha#page/n725/mode/2up |page=725 |website=Archive.org }}</ref>

===Essays===
Praharaj was one of the satirists of early 20th century. His writings were published in many magazines of that period; Utkal Sahitya, Rasachakra, Nababharata, Satya Samachar and many others.<ref name="orissa.gov2005">{{cite web|title=History of Press in Orissa |url=http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2005/pdf/history_of_pres.pdf |publisher=orissa.gov.in |page=200 |access-date=19 July 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Dealing with social issues, political condition of Orissa and India, and socio-cultural mentality of contemporary people these essays were written in humorous style and critical manner. Some of his essays were published in shape of books during his life. His notable works are ''Bhagabata Tungire Sandhya'', ''Bai Mohanty Panji'', ''Dunia ra Halchal'', ''Nananka Bastani''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gopala Chandra Praharaj|url=http://www.odiya.org/misc/sahitya.shtml|access-date=14 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708065325/http://www.odiya.org/misc/sahitya.shtml|archive-date=8 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some of his writings are now difficult to obtain.
<ref name="PraharajGranthvali">Praharaj Granthavali Book 1, Part 1, edited by Dr. Gauranga Charana Dash, Vidyapuri</ref>

===Other writings===
Praharaj published a book Utkalara Kahani dealing with the folk stories of Odisha. Among the remarkable works of Praharaj is "Dhaga Dhamali Rachana" containing the idioms of Odia language. His other works include his autobiography, many poems and stories written for children, a book namely ''Bhasakosha Safar''.
<ref name="PraharajGranthvali" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*Praharaj, G.C. [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/praharaj/ Purnnachandra Ordia Bhashakosha]. Cuttack: Utkal Sahitya Press, 1931–1940.
*[https://archive.org/details/Purnachandra.Odia.Bhashakosha.Complete Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha] Download complete Odia dictionary (Preface + All 7 Volumes) at [[archive.org]]
{{Commons category|Gopal Chandra Praharaj}}
{{Odia literature}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Praharaj, Gopala Chandra}}
[[Category:Writers from Odisha]]
[[Category:People from Cuttack district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian linguists]]
[[Category:1874 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Odia-language writers]]
[[Category:Indian lexicographers]]
[[Category:Indian satirists]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian linguists]]
[[Category:Scholars from Odisha]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Linguists from India]]
[[Category:Linguists of Indo-Aryan languages]]

Gopala Chandra Praharaj - Revision history

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